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http://columbusstate.blogspot.com/2011/01/dr-cornel-west-speaks-at-columbus-state.html[/postlink]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Rir9ehfprkendofvid
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Too many people try to “deodorize” the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, said Dr. Cornel West, Columbus State’s MLK Day speaker.
“You’ve got to keep it funky,” West said.
West, a Princeton University professor and public intellectual, said King is often viewed as a saint up on a pedestal, but you have to remember he came from a long tradition of service and activism.
And his work’s not done. If King were here today, he’d speak out against hollow pursuits like fame, greed, lust and hatred. This weekend’s shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz, showed there’s still a lot of hate in the world.
“Indifference to evil is more evil than evil itself,” West said. “Indifference is the one characteristic that makes the very angels weep.”
He praised Columbus State for helping people from all walks of life get an education, but he warned students not to stop there.
“Martin’s question is, ‘What will you use your success for?’” West said. “Never confuse success with greatness.”
West took questions at the end of his speech, including one from a woman struggling to make a difference at a school in her community. West said the best way to reach the younger generation is by treating them with respect, and urged her not to give up hope.
“No matter how bad things are, things would be worse if you weren’t doing what you’re doing,” West said.
West became nationally known with his 1993 book “Race Matters,” a searing analysis of racism in American democracy. He has published 13 other books, including a recent memoir, and offers weekly commentary on the Tavis Smiley Show on PRI. He also had a recurring role in the Matrix movies as a member of the Zion Council.
Hosting West is an honor, said Dr. David Harrison, Columbus State’s president – and the events aren’t over yet. Columbus State has a week of events planned for MLK Day, leading up to a march next Monday.
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[starttext]
Too many people try to “deodorize” the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, said Dr. Cornel West, Columbus State’s MLK Day speaker.
“You’ve got to keep it funky,” West said.
West, a Princeton University professor and public intellectual, said King is often viewed as a saint up on a pedestal, but you have to remember he came from a long tradition of service and activism.
And his work’s not done. If King were here today, he’d speak out against hollow pursuits like fame, greed, lust and hatred. This weekend’s shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz, showed there’s still a lot of hate in the world.
“Indifference to evil is more evil than evil itself,” West said. “Indifference is the one characteristic that makes the very angels weep.”
He praised Columbus State for helping people from all walks of life get an education, but he warned students not to stop there.
“Martin’s question is, ‘What will you use your success for?’” West said. “Never confuse success with greatness.”
West took questions at the end of his speech, including one from a woman struggling to make a difference at a school in her community. West said the best way to reach the younger generation is by treating them with respect, and urged her not to give up hope.
“No matter how bad things are, things would be worse if you weren’t doing what you’re doing,” West said.
West became nationally known with his 1993 book “Race Matters,” a searing analysis of racism in American democracy. He has published 13 other books, including a recent memoir, and offers weekly commentary on the Tavis Smiley Show on PRI. He also had a recurring role in the Matrix movies as a member of the Zion Council.
Hosting West is an honor, said Dr. David Harrison, Columbus State’s president – and the events aren’t over yet. Columbus State has a week of events planned for MLK Day, leading up to a march next Monday.
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